Abstract: In order to create a molecular recognition property on an oxide surface, a silica overlayer was prepared on tin oxide by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of silicon alkoxide using pre- adsorbed benzoate anions as template molecules, which were then removed. Silica overlayers on tin oxide prepared in this way showed the adsorption property to discriminate between molecules based on their molecular size, i.e., to possess a molecular sieving property. The size of the vacancies in the silica overlayers was controlled by the template molecule